


Stubborn to the very End

by Inuy21



Series: Dragon Age One-shots [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Childhood, Family Drama, Gen, Head Injury, Injury, Past Relationship(s), Siblings, Sword Training, Swordplay, impatientence leads to stupidity, minor first relationship, sword and shield warrior
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-19 05:51:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11891361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inuy21/pseuds/Inuy21
Summary: Growing up Evelyn admired her two older brothers, loved watching them sword fight. Then she was granted permission to start her training only to be abandoned years later and recklessly continue with a new partner.





	Stubborn to the very End

**Author's Note:**

> This was done for an August Challenge. Day 23: Under the age of 18/in their youth
> 
> There's is a small mention of Guileandgall's OC Rhys Trevelyan (who is Evelyn's cousin in this story line).

Evelyn had been mesmerized by the blade ever since she could remember. Her brothers had always put on a show for her when they’d all been younger. Then as a joke, Devlin—the youngest—had let her hold one when she’d turned 8. The sword had been heavier than she thought and was amazed at the skill and practice her brothers had with the weapon. She had immediately wanted to learn all she could.

Aiden had tried to talk her out of it, had lectured Devlin right there in front of her only egging both of them on further. Her oldest brother hadn’t stood a chance when they both ignored his wishes. When their parents didn’t deny Evelyn’s wish to train, Aiden had become determined to at least teach her how to properly hold and wield the sword with two hands. 

She had baulked at her brother for wanting her to use a one-handed blade with both hands. Evelyn knew she was being unreasonable. Maker, she could barely lift the blade off the ground as it was! Yet she had wanted to be just like her brothers. Aiden tried to explain, but she would hear none of it. He hadn’t wanted her to learn in the first place!

“Evie.”

It was Devlin that grabbed her shoulders, shaking them gently, to stop her bawling. She sniffed and rubbed the back of her hand across her runny nose. He was the one to put a sword in her hand, so why couldn’t he teach her? Not only that, Devlin was closer in age and would make a far better sparring partner…once she reached that stage.

Devlin glanced back at their older brother, a mischievous tilt of his lips appeared before he turned back to his sister. “Look, I know Aiden can be a bit of an ass,” he paused as Evelyn giggled and his brother shouted a complaint that would lead to another lecture later, “but he is older and, as much as I hate to admit, wiser. I had to start off using both hands, too.” He pushed a loose strand of hair behind Evelyn’s ear as he gave her a genuine smile and chucked her chin. “Once you get used to it and build up some strength then you can start using one hand.”

Her crying and sniffling stopped as she nodded her head. Then she looked at Aiden, fierce and ready. “Fine, I won’t cry anymore,” she stated, hefting the blade up with shaky arms—still only managing to bring it half-way up. 

With a heavy sigh Aiden looked between his two youngest siblings. “And you’ll listen to my every instruction?” he questioned Evelyn, pale grey eyes narrowing on his sister. “We won’t have to stop so that Dev can repeat everything I’ve just said to make you feel better?”

Evelyn’s lips pressed together, narrowing her gaze right back at her oldest brother. “I’ll listen to every word you say,” she declared, still trying to raise the sword just a bit higher. 

When Aiden took a step in her direction, she stood straighter. Her eyes glanced at Devlin, who gave a brief smile and nod as he went to sit on the sidelines as she was usually forced to do. Then her training had begun in earnest. 

Evelyn had become a model student in the years that followed even though she was frustrated that the progress was slow and tedious. Building muscle and learning how to control the blade had been top priority and while she understood the necessity of it, she was impatient as usual. It was especially infuriating when Aiden banished her to the sidelines to watch—to learn by observing—instead of letting her do any real practicing. 

Luckily Devlin was there to crack jokes and make her feel better when started getting too down. He also snuck off with her for a bit of extra practice when Aiden was out of the house on adult business. Just that little bit of sparring had been liberating for Evelyn, made her feel a bit more confident about the small skill set she was gaining instead of just madly thrusting and parrying. 

Then life intervened. Her brothers became far too busy to take time out of their schedules—well she couldn’t exactly blame Aiden as he was now a married man. Devlin, on the other hand, had become too busy drinking and spending most of his free time with his so-called friends. This was why she hated being the youngest! At 13 she’d lost all her playmates, just as she was starting to really get the hang of sword fighting. 

Oh, she still practiced on her own and every once in a while her cousin, Rhys, would visit but he had only been allowed to use a dagger. While she enjoyed the difference and getting to practice with the smaller blade, it wasn’t the same. She had no one there to tell her how to correct a stance or teach her new attacks. 

If Devlin happened to pass by while she practicing on her own, he would make a note on how well her posture looked or some other stupid comment he’d already said a thousand times over. She’d rolled her eyes and continued on, just as he kept walking without actually stopping to watch. Evelyn had been so eager to prove herself and yet now she was alone.

At least her parents hadn’t made her stop the routine…yet. She knew it would happen, that her life would one day be given to the Chantry, but for now she was still free to do as she pleased. So her life consisted of being a dutiful daughter when her parents so needed it of her then sneaking off to practice whenever she could find the time. 

Of course, without her brothers there, she was always looking for a new training partner. One of the stable boys who she’d had a crush on for some time now. A boy she wanted to impress with her skill and knowledge even though he was a bit timid for being a year older than her. She had somehow managed to talk him into helping her or perhaps he had agreed to join her because he knew she was stubborn and wouldn’t be turned away. Either way, she had found a new partner and she was too ecstatic to care why he had agreed. 

It had been going so well, Evelyn getting to practice more footwork and maneuvering with a live opponent instead of some imaginary foe or a motionless dummy. George had been a magnificent partner, one she had come to enjoy stealing kisses from, too, over the course of a year. It had been great, good fun and a chance for Evelyn to be just a bit wilder than if she’d been stuck with her brothers. 

It was also her first taste of romance, one she could look back on and thank the Maker that George had been a gentleman with her instead of taking advantage of her naivety. Of course that could have been because he was just as innocent as she had been at the time—both fumbling over quick chaste kisses when they practiced alone. 

Then, she had the brilliant idea to take up a shield now that she felt confident holding and moving with the sword one-handed. It might have all turned out okay if she’d given herself time to practice with the extra weight as George had suggested. Instead she’d been too eager, thinking she could handle the object just because she could hold it with ease. 

One gentle swing was all it took to destroy her cozy existence. She’d overbalanced, used to only centering herself with a sword, forgetting in that moment there was a shield attached to her other arm. The edge of the shield bashed into her forehead and across the bridge of her nose. Her world tipped and she heard George shout, saw him lunge forward as the sword in his hand was thrown to the ground. Then her head collided with the hard ground before he could catch her. 

When she came around again, a massive headache thudded in her skull. Evelyn groaned, a hand coming up to press the heel of her hand against the nagging spot only to find herself shouting out in pain. She heard heavy footsteps approach her and a man’s voice advised not to do that again. Her eyes rolled behind closed lids before she attempted to open them. 

Everything was so…blurry and it made her head throb even more as she tried to focus with both eyes. It took her a moment to figure out why it was impossible. Her hand rose, trembling fingers gingerly feeling around her left eye. A sob climbed up her throat, parting her lips, and the pounding in her head intensified until she was freely crying. She was inside, lying in her own bed, with her eye wrapped in bandages because she’d been an arrogant fool. 

“Evelyn, sweetheart.”

It was her mother’s voice, causing Evelyn to weep even more. A hand touched her shoulder and she jerked away from it on instinct. She didn’t need or deserve to be comforted right now. 

“Darling, lay back. The healer has assured us that you’ll be fine.”

There was something there, more than her mother’s usual stiffness, that made Evelyn not believe the words. How could she? She could remember the shield banging against head, falling….

“George?” she managed to chokingly mumble. She wasn’t even sure if her mother could understand the garbled name. Evelyn could barely understand herself. 

Her mother hushed her, repeating that she needed to lie back down. Evelyn didn’t want to! She wanted, Maker, she wanted this to all be a bad dream. She could pretend it was, right? Settling back against the mattress and pillows, wincing at the pain still pulsing through her head, Evelyn took a few deep breaths to collect her wits. 

“What happened to George, mother?” Evelyn asked, as smooth and emotionless as possible. She concentrated on lifting the lid of her good eye as she turned her head to look at a hazy version of her mother. 

Her mother huffed; eyes narrowed as a frown pulled at her lips. “I assume you mean the stable boy that carried you back to the house? The one who is at fault for all this?”

“He isn’t!” Evelyn cried out then shrank into the pillows and blankets as pain sliced through her. She whimpered, forcing her hand to stay down this time. “It was me,” she growled, teeth and hands clenched. “It was my bloody idea to pick up a shield. He tried to stop me, but I wouldn’t listen.”

“If he knew better then he wouldn’t have been a part of it at all, Evie,” her mother countered. “There is something else I must ask of you,” she said a bit more calm yet strained.

Evelyn watched as her mother took a deep breath, released it, and remained silent for a moment. It was…odd. If her mother wanted to say or ask anything, she usually didn’t hold her tongue too long. 

“Did the boy ever…touch you, darling?”

Her immediate response was to stiffen and deny any such attachment, but if her mother was asking then that meant she either suspected or perhaps George had confessed? She bit her lip, worrying it until her mother sharply whispered her name. 

“Not…not like that, mother.” A shocked gasp made her pause. “It was only kisses.”

“Where?”

Evelyn scrunched her brow, sucked in a breath as the pain throbbed back to life, and looked at her mother. “On the lips, that’s all. Where else is a boy supposed to kiss a girl he likes?” she asked, heat blazing on her cheeks.

Her mother’s lips thinned before she cleared her throat and said, “Never mind, darling.”

When her mother sat back against the chair and said nothing more, Evelyn closed her eye and breathed out, “You never said what happened to him, mother.” Her stomach churned as she already suspected the answer, but she needed to hear it. 

“He was let go, of course, and if you are thinking of fighting on his behalf you can just save yourself the trouble, Evelyn. Your father and I already discussed it and he will not be allowed back,” her mother stated.

Tears gathered and leaked down her cheek. Her head was pulsing once again and Evelyn just wanted to forget today. No, she couldn’t forget about today, that wouldn’t teach her anything, would it?

“You need to stop crying. We’ll have to change your dressing because it’ll be soaked through.”

The warning only made her cry that much more because she didn’t want the stupid covering over her eye! A sob caught in her throat. She’d been so worried about George that she hadn’t even thought about the damage to her face—even though it hadn’t stopped throbbing and felt a bit swollen on one side. 

“I can change the covering before I leave, if the lady wishes to see the damage?”

Evelyn swung her head in the opposite direction of her mother with a cringe to the male voice, the healer. Did she want to see? She would eventually have to look in a mirror, right? She heard her mother take a breath, so Evelyn beat her to it. 

“Yes, please,” she shouted a bit to be heard over anything her mother might say. “Is it…bad? Will I truly be okay?” she rambled, watching the fuzzy figure of the healer move across the room. “I, um, I can’t focus. Is that normal?” she asked, swallowing the lump building in her throat.

Her mother grumbled something beside her as the room fell silent, but Evelyn ignored it. She was almost 15! Not some child to be protected from the consequences of her own stupidity. 

“Normal enough for now. If it persists then I would start getting worried,” the healer said, collecting what he needed. “Your left eye,” he started with a sigh, “we will have to wait until it heals, I’m afraid.”

Evelyn bit her lip but dipped her head slowly. “And the pain?”

The healer chuckled. “I have given your mother some potions and herbs if you need some relief from it. Be mindful of how much the young lady takes, though.”

Evelyn’s mother bobbed her head. “I’ve got all the instructions written down. Thank you.”

Then the man was moving toward them, objects in hand that Evelyn couldn’t quite make out until he got almost to the bed. 

“Relax now, it shouldn’t hurt too much. Luckily you remained unconscious when the stitches went in, so the worst part is over,” the healer said as he reached toward her face. 

Evelyn couldn’t help but flinch, afraid of the slightest touch. The dressing came off without too much struggle and the healer ran gentle fingers around the area. There was pain, but nothing like the pulsing behind her brow. 

“You will have a scar,” he remarked offhandedly. “We can’t do much about that.” He looked at the mother. “You will have to make sure it does not become infected before the wound heals.”

“May I see?” Evelyn asked, nervous and nauseous. She wasn’t sure she would be able to fully inspect the damage, but she could at least know why it hurt so badly. 

With a slight nod the healer handed over a small mirror and Evelyn took it with trembling fingers. Her mother hissed that she didn’t have to look, but Evelyn had to know—curious and perhaps as a reminder for when she got overzealous again. So, holding the mirror up, as close as possible so she could see with her good eye, she then let out a horrified gasped. She suddenly didn’t want to know how she had looked when George brought her back to the house. How frightened her mother and father must’ve been in that moment.

Evelyn swallowed, her free hand reaching up to press gently around the discolored and swollen area of her face. It completely covered her left eye—which wouldn’t open very much because of it— and a bit of her cheek around her nose was puffed up. Then there was the giant gash now bisecting her eyebrow that was sewn shut yet red and angry looking. 

A sob caught in her throat as she ran a fingertip just above the top of the mark. She winced, sucking in a breath between her teeth. Evelyn stared at her reflection for a few moments more before giving the mirror back to the healer. She’d have to look again when her vision became clearer at just how ugly and damaged her face really was.

Then her eye was being covered back up, the healer telling her he’d back in a few days to check on her and see how she was healing. Warnings and basic instructions were gone over again before he left, leaving mother and daughter in silence. It didn’t last long as the sounds of weeping came from beside the bed. 

Evelyn groaned, wanting to cry but managed to hold the tears back for now. “I’m sorry. I should have listened to George.” A gentle hand combed through the hair by her right ear, making her chin wobble. 

“No more. The boy is gone, and I’ll not be put through this again. I will not have you damaging your pretty face just for a leisure pursuit.”

“Mother,” she growled, hackles rising at the thought of never being able to pick up a sword again. “It was an accident, a learning experience.”

“You could’ve been killed! Or blinded! Maker, your left eye may never work properly again. What good is a sword when you can’t see, Evelyn?” her mother berated, watching as her daughter recoiled into her pillows and blankets. 

Well that was an argument she couldn’t fight against. “Fine,” she pouted. 

Her mother glanced at her in surprise, but Evelyn ached enough as it was and she just wanted some quietness. Besides, she would never be able to talk her mother back around because of all that had happened. It was better to give in now, take the time to heal, and then continue her practice in secret. If she had to drag Devlin out with her, she would. Knowing her youngest brother he would relish in the challenge of going behind everyone’s back just so he could crow about it later. 

“Good,” her mother said with a nod, gaining her daughter’s attention again. “Would you like something to help with the pain?”

Evelyn’s lips turned down. She didn’t want to take anything, but she had a sneaking suspicion that if she waited too long then the pain would only have time to intensify. “Yes please.”

With another nod, her mother swept out of the room, giving Evelyn a few minutes to breath. She wondered briefly what her father and Aiden would have to say to her…if they came to visit her. At least she wouldn’t have to deal with Jane’s haughty attitude. Of course Devlin was likely to scold her to over this, though he’d be less severe than the rest of her family about it…hopefully. 

Evelyn closed her eyes and sighed, trying to relax and mentally plan. She would need to visit George and apologize grievously, but she would leave him be after that…if he would even see her. Then she’d get to practicing whether anyone approved of it. Evelyn wasn’t going to let her talent and hard work go to waste. No, she’d pick herself back up, build herself up to use a shield with her sword while she still had the freedom to continue. 

A smile curved the corner of her lips. Yes, she wouldn’t let this or any other impairment bring her down. She was stubborn enough that she would find a way!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments/critiques and kudos are always appreciated.


End file.
